Caleb Harper

Caleb is the only child of Alisha and Elias Harper, professional musicians who are popular in Algebar. Travel is the couple's routine due their various concerts, tours, and music festivals.

Elias, a professional pianist since he was 20. Alisha, dedicates herself to the violin. She writes her own pieces, and also interprets violin works in her own style, especially those of Paganini and Joachim.

When they play together, their melodies combine in an unique magic. Their unique style, somewhere between modern and classical, launched them into popularity. For Caleb, it was natural to learn music from an early age. While some children learn to read letters and numbers when they reach certain age, Caleb had already started his music theory classes. At age seven, he decided to dedicate himself to the piano.

Although Alisha tried to get her son to learn the violin, Caleb’s passion and talent were in the piano. He won his first children's competition at eight. Now, at 16, he is a musical promise whom many mention will surpass his father before he turns 20.

Three days after the RedBerrys' arrival, he received a visit from Hilda at his house. They had met three years ago when, by chance, she and Javier had gone to a concert of Elias. Dolores was there as well.

"Hi, Caleb. How's it going with the piano?" Hilda entered his apartment without saying hello or cleaning her feet. She immediately went to the refrigerator and took out a cranberry juice.

"Weren't you on a diet?" Caleb asked, not bothered by his friend's actions.

"One can isn't going to make me fat." Hilda sat in one of the armchairs in the living room. It was as if she were in her own home. She went everywhere with her shoes on.

"How was your trip in Neige?" Caleb asked again while taking out an orange soda.

"Bourges is a charming city." Hilda was excited to talk about her trip, and it showed. "Fashion, runways, beautiful parks... There was a photo session in a rose garden. The famous garden of Marie Gasly."

Caleb was surprised that she was so interested in nature and history. Usually, she only talked about clothes, fashion, or artists. They chatted for a while, during which Hilda didn't stay calm while seated. When she finally finished telling her adventures, it was late, and dinner time was approaching.

"Want to go for some sushi?" Hilda proposed. There were at least two other empty soda cans lying on the floor, and she didn't worry about moving them to the trash. "Old Dolores and dad aren't here."

Immediately, Hilda left the place, followed by Caleb, who hardly spoke to his friend, but he stopped just as he left his house. Hilda noticed.

“What's wrong?" Hilda asked. She looked somewhat impatient. She didn’t understand why he kept looking at his house.

"Is she at home?" Caleb turned to look at Dolores's apartment. Hilda didn't say anything until she remembered.

"Oh... 'her.' Don’t worry, she'll be fine," Hilda said with indifference. She tried to leave again. But her friend didn't follow her. After a few seconds, in an act of cowardice, Caleb followed Hilda, leaving Cristina alone.

It was already night when they returned from eating. Hilda didn't seem tired and was talking on the phone with someone. She had such a short attention span for a single subject that it was difficult for her to pay attention to details. Hilda just said "ciao" and went inside. Caleb sighed, took a breath, and went into his house as well.

The next day, Hilda left early. Before leaving she complained about the return time and her responsibilities. "It's vacation," she argued. "I just got back from work, you can't forbid me from going out, I'm 16..." and some phrases were heard while Caleb tried to have breakfast.

Her heavy footsteps were heard even while going down the stairs. Caleb sighed and finished his breakfast. Moments later, someone else’s departure was heard. Surely Dolores and Javier went to their jobs. He thought of Cristina. She didn't know anyone in the building; it would be very difficult for her to go for a walk on her own.

He tried to practice the piano, but thinking about Cristina being alone bothered him. He decided to do something. He rang his neighbor's doorbell. No one answered; he tried ringing it again. Finally Cristina opened, somewhat fearfully.

"Caleb!" Surprised by the visit, Cristina wiped away a few tears.

"I just came to see if you are OK." Caleb felt somewhat uncomfortable. He didn't expect her to receive him that way.

"I'm sorry." Cristina apologized and invited him in. "I wasn't expecting you to come."

An uncomfortable silence made them both more nervous. Caleb had an idea. He wanted his new neighbor to feel comfortable in her new home. He invited her to his house. Cristina became more nervous.

"Wait, don't misunderstand me." Caleb wasn't good at talking to women. "I want... I want us to be friends."

Cristina relaxed and laughed nervously. She accepted the invitation, and both went to Caleb's house, which was similar to hers, but it was clear it had been remodeled. In left was the dining room and the kitchen. A living room was in the back, along with a grand piano against a wall on the right. There was no television, and some shelves were filled with CDs and music books; next to them, a small stereo served as the room's decoration.

Curious, Cristina approached the piano. Caleb explained to her that he was given as a present when he turned 13. He practiced there every day. Now more relaxed, her new friend showed her some of his notebooks and music books, and both listened to some of the CDs from his collection.

Cristina thought Caleb's music taste was better than Hilda's—much calmer and more relaxing. Cristina asked Caleb to play a melody. Caleb blushed a little. After a few hours, feeling a bit hungry, Cristina suggested going to her house. Dolores had left some food prepared so she could eat. While they were eating, Cristina told him more about herself.

"My grandmother once told me that the stars watch over us," she commented with an air of nostalgia. "The stars have a special power for those who believe in them."

"Are you saying the stars have magic?" Caleb asked, amazed that his friend believed in magic, something that for him was fiction from children's stories. He never had a strictly religious education.

"I think my grandmother lied," Cristina continued with some pain and sadness. "Several times I prayed to the star Helios, and it never answered me. Now I see it as a useless fairy tale."

“I think it's okay if you believe in stories, in legends, or even in magic," Caleb said, now that he had finally managed to think of something to cheer her up.

After dinner, both decided to walk around the place and were heading to a small park in the middle of the buildings. A green area with some flower gardens and about two tables where one could eat or have gatherings.

"I believed in Santa Claus when I was a kid, or the monster under the bed." Both laughed a little and sat at one of the tables. "You can keep believing in magic. That's what I think."

Cristina smiled. Although her grandmother's songs had disappeared, believing didn't hurt anyone. Cristina got up and walked around the park. There were some games for children, like swings and a gym for workouts; also there was a path surrounded the park, and some birds could be seen landing to peck at the ground.

"This place is magical, like a fairy tale. Thank you!" With Cristina's smile, Caleb blushed. He felt so comfortable being by her side. Besides, talking to her was easy.

That afternoon, when Dolores and Javier arrived home, they noticed something different. The piano sounded different; usually, Caleb played in a somewhat robotic way. But it was such a strange event to hear him play shortly before dinner.

"Could it be for a competition?" Dolores asked Javier, who, surprised, could say nothing.

At home, Cristina was also different attitude; she talked about her day, and the couple smiled. That is what she was missing: making friends. They suggested that Hilda might invite her sister to some outing she had once school started in a month.

For Caleb, talking to Cristina was something new, exciting. He felt his heart beating with a feeling he couldn't explain. Usually, the girls talked too much. Whether it was about who was the handsomest in the Blueberry Boys group or the trending novel in TV. With Cristina, it was different; she worried about other types of themes. They were even able to talk about music and a little about his life.

That night, while he was brushing his teeth so he could go to bed, the sound of the phone had heard. He wiped off the foam and went to answer the call; it was his mother. She sounded somewhat tired, and some voices could be heard behind her.

"Mom!" Caleb was excited when he heard his mother's voice. He wasn't expecting the call. "How are you?"

"Tired..." his mother sighed. It was noticeable in her mother's voice alone that she wanted to sleep. "How is the practice going?"

"Playing the same scores is a bit boring," Caleb admitted. "But, you know what? Hilda and Javier are back."

Caleb talked a little about what happened. His mother was aware of Hilda's work in Neige, but the news about the adoption of Cristina was a surprise.

"Her desire to have a child finally came true," Alisha admitted. "Although she shouldn't have looked in the trash."

"Mom!" Caleb whispered, somewhat embarrassed by his mother's comment. "I don't think she is..."

"A thief, an ill-bred girl—who knows what bad habits she still have!" Alisha interrupted. "How old is she?"

"She's 15." Caleb was already getting tired.

It was supposed to be a call to talk about more pleasant topics. Topics like his rehearsals with the piano or his friends. Due to his low grades last semester, he had to attend extra classes in some subjects. He would have preferred his mother to ask if he had already been able to learn to write correctly or to multiply.

"At least Dolores saved her," Alisha sighed. "The adoption had something good. Let's hope she can give her a good education."

After talking for ten minutes, they said good night. Caleb knew that Cristina wasn't like his mother believed. He had barely met Alfredo, and he knew that, from what he remembered, he wasn't a bad guy. He was strict and tough, but he would never have allowed Cristina to have a bad habit.

At the same time, he knew he couldn't judge Cristina based on one day. Caleb closed his eyes, trying to process his mother's call. What could his father say? He almost never talked to him, not because he got along badly with him. Elias was a man of few words. A shy adult that preferred to go unnoticed, almost in anonymity. 

Caleb fell asleep. The warm summer night enveloped Espliego and its inhabitants. In her room, Cristina could see some blue butterflies flying around the building. She didn't know that butterflies flew at night, and certainly not at a considerable height.